Fun Mexican Tortilla Soup

  The 'fun' lies in that I served this with tostadas rather than tortilla strips. Wahoo! I get my kicks in the most simplistic of ways. But my kids had fun dipping and crunching the tostada into the soup. They did not, however care for chopped avocado-- that was optional (but delicious to the adult palate).



8 cups chicken broth
1, 14 oz can chopped tomatoes, with juice
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 poblano chili pepper, charred or roasted to remove skin, chopped fine
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
a very small pinch cinnamon
Salt to taste
1, 15 oz can pinto beans
5 green onions, sliced thin
Handful of chopped cilantro

1 avocado, cubed with lime squeezed over top
Shredded sharp cheddar or Mexican cheese
8 tostadas

  1) Char or roast the pepper, stick into a Tupperware, cover tightly and allow to steam the skin from the pepper. Remove the skin and chop.

2) Pour the chicken broth and tomatoes into a large soup pot and slip the chicken breasts in. Bring to a simmer and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside to cool.

3) Add the chopped pepper, cumin, oregano and cinnamon to the soup and simmer. Taste and season with salt. Chop the chicken into small dice. Just before serving, add the beans, green onions and cilantro, bring to a simmer and serve. Top with cheese and avocado and a tostada.

Serves 6

Peppers and Pepitas

  As is, this recipe is vegetarian, but could easily be vegan or for meat eaters, with the addition of cooked, ground beef. Pepitas, or hulled pumpkin seeds add a slight crunch, great flavor and fiber, they are also a very good source of magnesium, iron, vitamin K and protein. 


1 cup long grain brown rice (or white, if you wish)
2 cups stock
1 ounce Pepitas
1, 4-ounce tin chopped chillies (miled or hot)
Chopped, jarred jalapeno peppers (optional) to taste
6 ounces shredded cheese, like Mexican verole queso, mozzarella or sharp cheddar
6 large Anaheim peppers, tops removed, any seeds and membrane scooped out

1) Cook the rice with stock according to package directions. When it is done, preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray.

2) Now, mix the rice with the pepitas, chillies and jalapenos (of using). When it is completely cool, stir in the shredded cheese and stuff into the peppers. Place into the baking dish, cover with a lid or foil and bake for 45-60 minutes, until the peppers are soft. Serve at once.

Makes 6 peppers

Crockpot Chicken Chili

This is simple and makes your house smell delicious! Great for parties or for when you will be out most of the day. If you don't have a slow cooker, simmer very gently (covered) on the stove top for a couple of hours.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion (any color), minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds/1 kilo ground chicken
1 pound/500 grams spicy chicken sausage (squeezed from their casing like toothpaste) Make sure it is raw, not smoked or partially cooked-- it should be squishy.
3, 4-oz/122 grams tins chopped green chillies, mild or spicy, not drained
1 pound/500 grams fresh or tinned tomatillos, chopped
3 teaspoons cumin powder

1 pint chicken stock

3 tablespoons Wondra or regular flour
2, 15oz/420 grams tins white beans (canellini, navy, northern, garbanzo) not drained

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro/coriander

Pickled jalapenos, chopped
Sharp white cheddar, shredded
Fritos or tortilla chips

1) Turn the crock pot on high. In a very large pan, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil for just a minute or two then add in the ground chicken and chicken sausage-- breaking the meat up as you go. You are simply getting this stuff hot, not thoroughly cooking it. This is the safest way to cook with a crock-pot-- have everything HOT when it goes in. Add the chillies, tomatillos and cumin to the pan to heat through. Now, shake the chicken stock with the Wondra flour, then pour in the pan and bring to a simmer, stirring often.

2) Dump this whole mess into the hot crock-pot, cover and bring up to a gentle simmer, then turn the pot down to low, keep covered and cook for a few hours.

3) 1 hour before you would like to serve, add in the undrained beans, stir to combine. 15 minutes before service, stir in the cilantro/coriander.

Serve with chips, chopped jalapenos and cheese along side. Makes about 8-10 bowls.

Mexican-American Pizza

With three ethnicities represented in this recipe, something's got to be good about it, right? This is cool because it can so easily be vegetarian (hold the chicken) and no one would know. Heaving with beans, cheese and chillies, I was pleasantly surprised that even my 5 year old twins liked this.

1 can refried beans (fat-free, low sodium, traditional-- any style)
1 teaspoon taco seasoning mix
1 ball pizza dough (enough to make a large pizza)
Shredded Mexican cheese
1 or 2, 4oz can mild or hot chopped chillies
1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded (about 1 cup)
Salsa











1) Preheat the oven to 400F (200C). Roll out the dough to roughly fit into your greased baking tray. Dock the dough, that is, gently stab a fork into the dough all over-- this will help prevent the dough from bubblig as it bakes. Place the dough into the oven and bake for 10 minutes, until partially cooked-- this will keep the crust crisp and can be done up to 6 hours ahead and held, uncovered at room temperature.



2) When ready to bake the pizza: Pre-heat the oven to 400F. Mix the refried beans with the taco seasoning and spread most of it (I had 1/4 cup left) over the pizza base. Now, sprinkle the cheese over top, then scatter chopped chillies and shredded chicken. Bake until golden and bubbly. Spoon salsa over top before serving.

7 Minute Mexican Green Sauce for Grilled Meats

  2 minutes prep time and 5 minute to simmer; this is an easy, quick sauce that adds so much to grilled steak, chicken, pork or even seafood. I dolloped it over grilled skirt steak that I had rubbed with equal parts cumin and oregano and a good dash of thyme, then I stuck it into a resealable bag with 2 tablespoons of table sugar, the same amount of soy sauce and a drizzle of vegetable oil and stashed it in the fridge. A few hours later, I sprinkled the meat with sea salt and quickly grilled it on a scorching hot grill.







2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium shallot, minced
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/2 small jalepeno, seeded and minced
4 ounce can mild green chiles
11 ounce can green tomatoes/tomatillos, drained, chopped
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
Sea salt

1) Heat the olive oil in a pan and add in the shallot, garlic and jalepeno. Saute just until soft, about 2 minutes. Add in the tinned chiles and green tomatoes/tomatillos, and bring to a simmer-- cook for 5 minutes. Squeeze in lime juice and season with salt.

Makes about 1 cup. Serve hot, warm or room temperature.

Chicken Empanadas

First in Spain a million years ago (okay, so not a MILLION, but a really long time ago), empanadas were then carried to other Latin countries, including those as far away as in Latin American and the UK (where do you think Cornish Pasties came from?). Every country, even many regions within countries, have their own version of an empanada, but suffice it to say the universal empanada consists of seasoned meat or vegetables stuffed into a pastry of some sort, folded into a pocket and fried or baked. They can be eaten hot, warm or cold and are delicious!

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 and ½ pounds boneless chicken thighs (or breasts), diced small

1 and ½ teaspoons American chili powder (the type that is not hot)

1 teaspoon cumin powder

½ beef bouillon cube, crumbled

¼ teaspoon smoked, sweet paprika (or spicy for heat)

200 grams (6 ounces) tin of tomato puree (if you can get Chair de Tomate, use it)

6 thin spring onions, sliced

12-18 pimento stuffed green olives (I love Tabasco’s spicy green olives), sliced

3 hard boiled eggs, chopped

Small handful chopped cilantro (coriander)

Packaged, pre-rolled short crust, pie or pizza dough—enough to make about 40 small empanadas.

1) Heat the oil in a large sauté pan then add in the chicken and sauté until just done. Alternatively, use cooked chicken, chopped up, and just cook the sauce then add the chicken to it. Pour the tomato puree and everything else except the boiled eggs, cilantro and olives (and dough…duh). Stir and allow to simmer—it should be the consistency of chili. Remove from the heat and stir in the eggs, cilantro and olives. Allow to cool at room temperature, then stash in the refrigerator to get cold.

2) Lay the pre-rolled pastry or dough out and cut into 4” by 4” squares or use a large coffee mug to trace circles onto the dough. Fill one side of the dough square or circle with 1 heaping tablespoon of chicken filling, then fold the other side over top and seal—crimp edges, use egg wash, whatever gets the job done.

Brush with egg wash and bake in a pre-heated oven at 200C (400F) until golden.

Makes about 40 empanadas. Heat up any left-over filling and spoon over salad greens for a killer salad!

Green Chicken Enchiladas

Just back from a Tex Mex cooking class I taught. It seemed so right to make up some fiery, healthy chow awakening our dormant mid-winter taste buds.
I love my cooking class students. Half are Americans the other half Brits; we all help each other with cultural words that are at once, unknown and interchangeable. Today it was 'green onion' common to Americans, completely foreign to the English. I finally held one up and one of the British ladies shouted (at least as loudly as British people ever DO shout... more of a forceful clearing of the throat), anyway, Caroline, one of the most loyal of British attendees said, 'Oh! SPRING onion!'.
We also mused about 'toilets' versus 'bathrooms' ('Why would you call it a bah-throom? There is no bahth in it?' Point taken. But you kindly then explain, 'loo'?)
Below are the recipes I made and we all sat down together to enjoy; Brits and Americans, except for a few words, we're not that different, really. 

Chicken Enchiladas with Green Sauce
6-8 Cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 Jar jalapeños, drained and chopped

4 Green onions, trimmed and sliced

1 Small container (320 grams/10 oz) half fat crème fraiche or sour cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Shred the chicken and mix it with everything else. Set in the refrigerator until ready to roll the enchiladas.


Green Sauce

3 green bell peppers

10 small mild green chili peppers

1 red onion, peeled

2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

1 bunch cilantro (coriander)

1 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon flour

1/4 cup plain, natural yogurt

Salt and pepper to taste

1) Roast the bell pepper, chilies and onion in a 400F (200C) oven. Remove the small chilies first—as soon as they start to blister, as they will be done quicker than the bell peppers. Remove the bell peppers and red onion as they blister and go limp. Place in a Tupperware container, seal and allow the skins to steam lose. Remove the skins and seed the peppers.

2) Now dump everything into a food processor and whiz. Pour into a saucepan and bring just to a simmer—cook until it thickens slightly. Stash in the fridge until ready to pour over the enchiladas.

Assembly

8-10 Large soft, flour tortilla wrappers

Lite Philly Cream Cheese

Shredded cheddar cheese

Prepared chicken

Green sauce

Spread a bit of light Philly cream cheese on the flour tortilla, place some of the chicken over top and roll into a burrito shape. Lay into a casserole dish sprayed with non-stick spray and continue until everything is used up. Now, pour the green sauce over top and finish with shredded cheddar cheese. Bake, covered  at 375F (160C) until the cheese is melted, then remove the cover and bake until the cheese is goldenmmm.

The sauce can be made up ahead of time, frozen even, the enchiladas wrapped up-- just spreading the sauce over top minutes before placing in the oven to bake.

Serves 8

Avocado and Corn Salsa

1 small red onion, peeled and chopped

Lime juice to cover chopped onion

3 cups fresh, chopped tomatoes

2 cups frozen corn, thawed (or better yet, fresh corn quickly blanched)

2 cups chopped avocado

Sea salt

1 bunch cilantro (coriander), chopped

Jalapeño or Thai bird’s eye chili, if desired, for heat

Green Chicken Enchilada

British Mexican Rice

Baja Black Beans

Avocado and Corn Salsa

1) Cover the onion in lime juice 30 minutes before you will mix up the salsa. Good tip— A Mexican friend of mine taught me this, it takes the ‘bite’ out of the onion, but leaves the flavour. While the onion is ‘marinating’ chop up the avocado, sprinkling with a bit of lime juice as you go, to prevent browning. Another tip (more of a fact): Leaving the avocado pit in guacamole does not prevent it from browning, it's the lime juice that manages this.

2) Spoon the onion out of the lime juice and toss everything together. Season with more lime juice and plenty of salt. Serve at once or within a few hours—this is not a good salsa to make the night before as the avocados will begin the break down.   Makes about 6 cups. Recipe can be halved.

British Mexican Rice

Cook long grain white rice in beef stock. Use vegetable broth to make this vegan. Once the is just done, mix with tomato passata (American tomato puree, to colour and flavour, not to turn into soup) chopped parsley and chopped green olives. Season with ground cumin, paprika and/or chili powder if you like.

Baja Black Beans

 'Baja Black Beans' I like the alliteration. Okay, I've never been to Baja, California, but I do love black beans and cook them often in as many different ways as possible. I love these-- the orange juice brings a slight sweetness to the dish without being overt. Make these vegan by omitting the bacon and using vegetable broth rather than chicken broth.

1 bag (16 oz) dry black beans, soaked overnight

8 oz. smoked lardoons, or chopped bacon, cooked until crisp

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

3 fat cloves garlic, minced

½ cup orange juice

1 and ½ cups beef or chicken stock

1 tin chopped tomatoes, including juice

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

Sea salt to taste

1) Preparing the beans: Soak the beans over night, drain and pour into a large pot, cover by 2” with water and simmer for about 1-2 hours, until tender. This can all be done ahead of time and the beans held, or, if you so wish—just use tinned black beans, probably 3 tins. Dried beans have a nicer texture, but tinned beans are easier. Your call.

2) Add the prepared beans and everything else (except salt) to a huge pot and simmer for an hour.  Make sure that they are very moist as they cook. Taste the beans, adjust seasoning (salt or any hot pepper if you like). If the beans are too soupy, remove from the pot with a slotted spoon—if you like the consistency, serve as is.     Serves 6-8

Mexican Black Bean Stew

After the last of the holiday dishes were cleared from the table, I sat in our living room, strewn with excess toy packaging, a cup of peppermint tea warming my hands, and I began thinking about what I would cook the next evening for dinner. Feeling bloated and stuffed, like the turkey we had just devoured, my mind turned to the sunny, warm flavours of Mexican cuisine. Cilantro (coriander here in Europe), spicy peppers, tomatoes and... the main ingredient eluded me for a moment. I knew that I didn't want more meat, having roasted and eaten most every farm animal and sea creature over the previous two weeks.
A creamy stew of slowly simmered black beans crept into my gastro-imagination. Lovely and satisfying, this recipe also benefits from being vegan if vegetable broth is used. Otherwise, beef stock is perfectly hearty in this. I served the stew for dinner with a scattering of queso fresco (which was nice but not necessary), steamed rice (brown or white) and sauteed Cavolo Nero and garlic.
The stew was even better the next day for lunch. 


8 ounces dried black beans (or 3 cans black beans, in which case, skip step 1)
1 red bell pepper
2 jalapeno peppers
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small yellow onion, chopped
Low sodium beef or vegetable broth to cover beans by 2 inches
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Leaves stripped off 2 sprigs epazote (found dried in latin grocery stores)
Handful of fresh, chopped cilantro (coriander)

1) Soak the black beans over night or for at least 3 hours. Drain, rinse and cover by three inches with fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1-2 hour(s). Drain, cover with stock, bring back to a simmer and allow to cook until tender (refilling with stock or water if needed to keep quite moist).

-Alternatively, use canned black beans-

2) While the beans are simmering away, toss the bell pepper and jalapenos together with a drizzle of olive or veg oil and roast at 375F (180C) until just soft and a bit charred. Allow to cool, remove the  skins and seeds and chop.

3) Once the beans are tender, but not splitting open, add in the roasted peppers, tomato paste, onion, garlic and herbs (except the cilantro). Taste for seasoning, add salt if desired. Simmer, covered or not depending on how soupy or dry you would like the stew, for 20-30 minutes, until the onions are cooked and the flavours melded. Stir in the fresh cilantro and serve.

Makes main course for 4, sides for 6-8. Serve with crumbled queso fresco, or a swirl of sour cream plain yogurt, if desired.

Puerco Pibil (Slow Roasted Pork)

I tend to define people by how they approach food. Socio-economic background, appearance, what they do for work, their nationality-- none of that is important to me, all I care about it how they eat. By 'how they eat' I mean, do they love food or do they view eating as a necessary chore to be completed three times a day?Adimittedly unfair, I have no tolerance for the latter of those gastronomic groups.

So, when my friends Greg and Suzy (also Americans) called the other night and asked if they could come by immediately to share the best slow-roasted pork they have ever made, in my estimation, their stock doubled. They arrived, Peurco Pibil, condiments and tortillas in hand. I was already in my pijamas, but that didn't matter because they had no intention of staying; they only wanted me to taste this gastronomic feat.

And it was fantastic. Really special and worth the time put into slow roasting the meat. Try this dish the next time you have friends around, it is a great one to share.

Greg attributes this recipe to the film maker, Robert Rodriguez
You'll see my adjustments in the [  ].

5 Tbsps. annatto (achiote) seeds
2 tsps. cumin seeds
1 Tbsp. peppercorns
8 allspice berries
½ tsp. whole cloves
2 habanero chiles
½ cup orange juice
½ cup white vinegar
2 Tbsps. salt
8 cloves of garlic
Juice of 5 lemons
Splash of tequila
5 pounds pork butt, cut into 2'' chunks

Banana leaves or heavy-duty aluminum foil [or a turkey baking bag]

1) Place the annatto, cumin, peppercorns, allspice and cloves in a spice grinder and process to a fine powder. Carefully remove the seeds and veins from the chiles and chop coarsely. (Removing the veins and seeds ensures the dish is fiery but not painfully hot. You can also substitute a milder chile.)
2) Process the orange juice, vinegar, chiles, salt, garlic and spices in a blender or food processor until liquefied. Add the lemon juice and tequila.
3) Place the pork chunks into a large, self-sealing plastic bag with the marinade. Seal bag and turn to evenly coat the meat. Refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours, turning occasionally.
4) Heat oven to 325 degrees [or as low as 275F-- the lower the temperature, the longer to roast, the better the flavour]. Remove the meat from the marinade, wrap tightly in banana leaves and/or foil or place into the turkey baking bag so no steam can escape [add in a bit of the marinade to keep the meat moist during cooking, especially if cooking at the low temp for longer]. Place packet in roasting pan and roast four hours [or longer, up to 8 hours, if roasting at 275F temperature]. Open packet carefully. [Remove the meat from the juices, use a defatter to get rid of most of the fat, and there will be quite a bit. Reserve the juices to drizzle over the meat].The meat should shred easily with a fork. [Place back into the defatted juices]

Shred and moisten with pan juices. Serve with rice or use as taco filling. Makes 15 servings.

Beef Fajitas

We miss Mexican food! I have been thus stymied in my quest for an even marginal Mexican eatery in Europe. Of course, the solution to this dilemma is to prepare authentic south of the (U.S.) border fare at home; which is exactly what we did last night when some American friends came around. These beef fajitas truly hit the spot and make great pary food! The recipe is easily doubled, tripled or more.

12 ounces (350 grams) lean, flank, skirt or rump steak
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon lime juice (lemon juice will work if you haven't a lime)
one good pinch ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dry oregano
1 tablespoon mild chili powder
one fat pinch crushed red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
1/2 teaspoon (sea) salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
3 plump garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/4 cup vegetable oil

1) Trim the beef or any fat. Now, slice the beef into thin strips-- making sure to slice against the grain of the beef. Set the beef strips into a bowl.

2) Combine all the marinade ingredients, (except for the oil) in a separate bowl. Whisk until the salt is dissolved and the spices are evenly dispersed. Now, drizzle in the oil, whisking as you go, to finish the marinade. Pour the marinade over the beef and toss well. Cover and refrigerate for 1-3 hours. The beef can also be marinated overnight, but in this case, the salt should be omitted, the beef salted before cooking.

3) When ready to cook, thinly slice up a few red and yellow bell peppers and one large red onion.

3) To cook: Set a cast-iron skillet over high heat and allow to become scorching hot. If you don't have a cast iron skillet use the heaviest saute pan that you have. Pour a teaspoon of vegetable oil into the pan and layer in the beef (leaving any residual marinade behind). Make sure not to crowd the pan-- otherwise the beef will steam, rather than saute. Saute for just a minute or two, until the beef is still pink in the center. Remove to a plate and keep warm, add in a tad more veg oil and saute the peppers/onions in the same manner-- they should become bit charred. If you would rather, the beef strips would taste great grilled (saute the peppers indoors)-- just be careful not to lose too many of thr strips inbetween the grilling grate.

If you can muster it, serve these with homemade tortillas, refried or black beans and rice. Serves 2.

Simply Chilli

There is nothing exotic about this recipe—it is just good, simple chilli. Great for cold Autumn days. I have put no ‘heat’ in this recipe, so it is very kid-friendly. If you want some spice, just add chipotle powder (which is smoked jalepeno powder), or cayenne pepper to your liking.
I served this in baked potatoes for the little ones, over pasta for the Mister and on top of fresh salad greens with crumbled tortilla chips and grated cheddar cheese for me. On this night, everyone liked their dinner.
This chilli is easy to make ahead and reheat, or allow to simmer slowly on the stove or in a crock-pot.


1 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 Pounds lean ground beef, chicken or turkey
1 Medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 Large garlic cloves, pressed or minced
4 ounces chirizo (Spanish sausage), skin removed, diced small—optional
1 cup strong beer
24 ounces tomato pasata, sauce (plain) or sugocasa (for Americans I am talking about plain tomato puree)
1 cup water
1 teaspoon dry oregano
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (or sweet)
1 teaspoon dry thyme (powder is best)
2 teaspoons cumin powder
2 tablespoons mild chilli powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Few dashes of ground cloves
2 tablespoons vinegar
1, 2 or 0 cans of pinto or kidney beans, drained—optional


1) Set a large pot over medium high heat and pour in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Pile in the onions and garlic, cook until translucent, then add in the ground meat, stir and cook until most of the pink is gone. If the meat is very lean, there should not be fat to drain off, but if you do find fat, just pour it out of the pan and continue.

2) Now add in all the rest of the ingredients, stir well, bring to a simmer then reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for as little as 45 minutes to as long as 3 hours—just make sure to check the piqued that the chilli is not too dry (if so, add more water).

Serve as you like!

Makes about 12 servings.

Asparagus Guacamole

This is a delicious alternative to avocado guacamole, if you are watching the fat-- or if you are an asparagus fan. Very fresh, very healthy-- it makes a great spread for sandwiches, too.

1 bunch asparagus, bottom 1” cut off and discarded, the rest of it cut into 1” pieces.
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice (to taste)
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 tablespoons fresh, chopped chives or green onion
2 tablespoons fresh, chopped cilantro
¼ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1 clove garlic
2 teaspoons chopped, fresh jalepeno (no seeds)
1 teaspoon ground cumin

1) Bring a large pot of salted water to a strong simmer and carefully add in the asparagus pieces. Return to a simmer and cook for 6-8 minutes, until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water until the asparagus is no longer hot. Drain again well.

2) With a paper towel, blot the asparagus pieces until dry. Place the asparagus and all of the rest of the ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth.

Makes about 2 cups. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve with tortilla, bagel or pita chips. Keeps, refrigerated for up to three days.

Grilled Fish Tacos

So fresh, tasty and super healthy! Spice up your dinner menu with fish tacos!

1 pound (450 grams) firm white fish, red snapper, mahi mahi, tuna or talapia
¾ cup mixed fruit juice (I used a multi-vitamin juice of orange, apple, passion fruit and banana)
¼ cup lime juice
1 teaspoon chili powder
Scant 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Scant 1/8 teaspoon cumin

1) Cut the fish into 1-2” (2-4 cm) cubes. Mix all the rest of the ingredients together and pour over fish in a resealable container. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours-- any longer and you'd have ceviche.

2) Thread the fish chunks onto metal skewers if you have them, otherwise use wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for 30 minutes. Sprinkle fish with salt. Grill until just done, with some char marks, turning to cook all sides (about 10 minutes total). Serve with warm corn or flour tortillas or taco shells, pickled vegetables and cilantro cream (see recipes below).

Serves 2

Fish Taco Condiments

Developed to go with fish tacos (see 'Mexican Flavours')


Pickled Cabbage
Couldn’t be easier and adds so much to fish tacos.

¼ head white cabbage, sliced into very thin strips
2 radishes, sliced very thin
½ teaspoon sea or kosher salt
3 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon lime juice

1) Mix everything together and allow to sit at room temperature for 1-6 hours. Stir occasionally. Serve with fish tacos.

Pickled Onions
Ditto

2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon table sugar
½ teaspoon sea or kosher salt
½ medium onion, red or yellow, peeled, halved and sliced very thin

1) Mix the first three ingredients together and swirl around until the salt and sugar dissolve (mostly). Pour over onions, toss and allow to sit at room temp for 1-6 hours. Serve with fish tacos.

Cilantro Cream Sauce
Adding another layer of flavor to the tacos…

¼ cup sour cream or crème fresh
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon milk
½ small bunch fresh cilantro (koriander), roughly chopped
1 teaspoon lime juice
Pinch of salt

1) Place everything into a small food processor or blender and process until smooth. Store in a jar or air-tight container in the refrigerator until ready to use-- up to two days. Drizzle over fish tacos.

Salsa Roja

This is not like the salsa fresca (raw, chunky salsa) we all make in the summer, when tomatoes are so good. It uses tinned tomatoes, but I am telling you that it is de-lish! It tastes just like the salsa you get at great, hole-in-the-wall Mexican places in the States. And it is ridiculously easy to make.

1 large tin whole peeled tomatoes, including juice
1 teaspoon sea or kosher salt
juice of about 1 juicy lime (to taste)
1 small bunch cilantro (koriander), most of the stems discarded (a few won't hurt)
2 small green onions, discarding the top 2 inches of very dark green
1 clove garlic
1 small hot Thai red pepper, stem and seeds removed
2 tablespoons, approximately jarred jalapeno pepper rings

1) Put everything into a food processor or blender and whiz. It will be smooth, not chunky and a bit thinner than bottled salsas-- but oh so tasty! The heat is that of a medium store bought salsa-- add or subtract peppers if you like more or less heat.

Makes about 3 cups. Keeps in the refrigerator for up to a week, but it probably won't last that long.